TIPS FOR READING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Learning a second language is not easy by any means, but reading in a foreign language is an excellent way to improve fluency.

When you look at a page filled with writing in a language you aren’t yet fluent in, reading and understanding all can be perplexing,  but if you really want to improve your proficiency and your vocabulary, you don’t have much choice; you are almost certainly going to have to do some reading. But don’t be worried! There are simple ways to make reading in a foreign language easier and to help you get the most you can out of it.

1.     Choose material at the right level

If you are assigned reading for a formal class, it makes things a bit easier; your teacher wouldn’t give you something to read that was completely beyond you.  If you try to start something and it is clear that you haven’t learned half the grammar in it, or you have to look up every other word,  maybe you should try something a little simpler first.

2.      Take the time to do a good job

Read bit by bit and try to take in as much as you can, instead of hurrying through and only picking up the words you recognize right away. Think about the words you are seeing and how they fit together, and try your best to really understand.

3.      Don’t get distracted

You’ll read better without distractions! Turn off televisions and radios!  The aim is to keep words away ... with the exception of the ones in front of you!

4.      Be focused

Think about what you are reading! If you catch yourself  thinking about something else, force yourself back to what is in front of you! Otherwise, take a break!  Don’t be afraid to just read a little at a time with short breaks in between!

5.      Don’t translate

To really be fluent in a language, you have to be able to think in it. One of your goals in practising your reading skills is to build an understanding of what the words mean on their own, without relying on your mother tongue!  It’s not easy!  Practice is the only way to get to that point. The less you use your native tongue as a go-between, the more automatically you’ll understand your new language.

6.      Use a monolingual  dictionary

Buy a monolingual dictionary to avoid translation!  If you don’t have a dictionary, you can find excellent online dictionaries,  try  http://oxforddictionaries.com/.  Don’t use an Internet translator!  

However, it's not necessary to look up every word you don't know. For example, if you are only unfamiliar with one word in a sentence you are reading, but the meaning is clear from the context, it may not be necessary to reach for the dictionary. Let the context be your guide!  If you still don’t get it, then it is dictionary time!  Most of us, when we are learning to read our native tongues, do not look up every word, and the same applies as we are learning a foreign language. 

7.   Don’t suppose you'll understand everything

You  are still learning, so you’re almost assured to run into words you don’t know, grammar structures you haven’t learned yet, and idioms that don’t make any sense because you can’t use a dictionary to translate them. You’ll probably get the essential idea even without those particular details! Write down what is difficult and puzzle over it later instead of wasting time on it now. But first, go on reading! You can always come back to it and piece it all together once you understand.

8.   Take notes

When you run into a word or sentence  that you don’t know, you should copy it down or mark the page, so that you know to come back and work on it later. After all, you won’t learn anything if you don’t  keep track of what needs to be learned.

9.   Read it again

The first time you read through something in another language, you  are puzzling out what it means as you go. Then you should read it over again. Almost certainly you’ll be able to read faster and you’ll understand it better than you did the first time. If you have a list of things to look up, do that before rereading.

10.  Read something fun

When selecting material for your study of a foreign language, remember it  is easier to keep reading a story if you are enjoying it. Get a novel that looks interesting or a book of short stories!

The more you read, the more you'll enjoy it!  Happy reading!

If you are looking for something to read during these summer weeks, pick up one of these short stories! 

The Necklace   by Guy de Maupassant

The Selfish Giant  by  Oscar Wilde 

To Build a Fire  by Jack London

Desiree's Baby  by Kate Chopin

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow  by Washington  Irving